Dance with the Nightingale-Chapter 104 - 99: The Night Before the Chase

It was only after dinner that I told everyone to gather in my room. And by everyone I meant, Amy, Syrus, and Cana.

My stoic muscle-brained tank was mildly surprised by my maid’s appearance, as he strode into my room the last, but that was it. And from the way he wasn’t swollen or bruised anymore, it seemed that he was done treating his injuries.

With all the members gathered, I started the meeting, or rather the interrogation.

"Amy if you would."

On my call, Amy manifested two barely alive, gravely injured men out of thin air and placed them on the couch. They were the same guys, who survived Mark’s massacre today, but their state was so dire that it felt wrong to call them humans, with their bodies healed the wrong way thanks to the mid-tier potions used.

There was no blood on their person but both of were missing whole part of their body. Their newly healed skin was barely holding their organs in place, but several protrusions of broken bones were sticking out underneath it were causing internal bleeding and organ disruption.

Even breathing seemed painful to them as the unconscious duo twitched and winced with each breath.

"Are they-"

"Yes, former Demon Cultists. Now, they are just bags of information for us."

I answered before Cana could ask. My solemn reply hardening her face.

Honestly, I could heal them in a heartbeat, for I had dozens of Earl’s handmade highest-grade potions and hundreds of high-grade potions in my bracelet.

But they didn’t deserve it.

And that wasn’t just me judging, everybody seemed to agree with me. Even Cana who looked like she would puke, didn’t have an ounce of sympathy in her eyes let alone battle-hardened Syrus or the seasoned veteran that was Amy.

"Go on, Amy.", I said to my maid, who asked back in concern, "Are you sure Young Master?"

Concern for me rather than herself.

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Breaking the will of someone equaled to reducing a person to vegetative state. It was akin to erasing someone’s sense of self and it wasn’t much different from killing someone.

Thus, the concern. Do I really want to torture them when they are already in pain? Do I really need to punish them more?

Honestly, I couldn’t care less.

The power of Tree of Light was something I needed and I was going to get it. They were just the unlucky one caught up in the turn of events. Just like how the ones they bombed got caught up in their turn of events.

"Yes, I’m sure.", with gloom lacing my voice I confirmed.

"As you wish, Young Master."

Amy raised one of her hands towards the unconscious duo, and then… they screamed.

-GAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

-GAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

Their closed eyes burst open with bulging veins all over their body as they held their head in excruciating pain. They shook, violently, unable to contain the inhuman agony of having their existences erased as all of their being collectively resisted the process.

But in this case… resistance was futile.

Unaware, they continued to struggle.

The one without legs, shook so much that he fell down from the couch. And yet, he kept enduring, kept resisting, banging his head on the couch as if his life depended on it, slowing painting it red. The other one, whose side was slashed off, had a tamer reaction, if you could call, biting your wrist so hard that it bled, tame.

I was watching it all with sunken eyes as confusion took over my brain for a second.

’Are they really resisting an Archmage’s willpower…?’

The process that shouldn’t have lasted more than a second, was taking a long while.

’No, that’s impossible.’

I firmly denied, before I stumbled upon the answer.

’Amy… she wanted me to see this.’

The consequences of my wish, she wants to me witness it without turning my eyes away?

If I am not overthinking then that’s probably it.

’Sure, I will.’

I kept my eyes locked on their suffering, until they weren’t.

After about a minute, they simply went limp. Their eyes hollow as the were reduced to empty husks.

"Good job.", I praised, causing Amy to throw me a weird glance, after which she simply nodded.

"Cana, you’re up next."

"Y-Yes."

Without her usual snark, Cana wobble her way forward and stood in front of the duo. Her eyes holding a silver of killing intent, not for the sake of killing, but to release the duo from their misery.

Such misery was rare sight, even for her who spent most of her life in the dark corners of society.

So, without wasting any time, Cana worked up her sorcery, and I noticed some interesting things as she did – her eyes stopped shaking, turning into beautiful pools of rose, her legs stopped quivering, her voice suddenly held an authority that compelled one to follow and her posture, her demeanor itself changed completely. As if someone else had taken over her body.

And that someone, ever so slowly, ever so calmly, commanded those empty husks, "Tell me, everything you know, about the Church of Light."

And they, like hapless puppies, happily complied.

***

A few minutes later, after the duo confessed everything they knew, the room fell into a heavy, somber atmosphere as a gloomy vibe settled in.

Knowing that a Vessel had a days lead on us was a huge blow on everyone, including me, even though I had expected it.

But things weren’t that bad…

The Tree of Light was the highest ranked power there was, ranked the same as Eva’s. I didn’t believe for a second that a vessel that had to flee from its residual awakening of power (Atlas’ Blessing) could do something to it.

There were only two ways for him to act:

1. To contact other Demon Archmages, Devils or Satans and tell them about this power.

2. To summon his real body and try to obtain this power somehow.

Both of these options would take time, especially in vicinity of Tree of Light who denied demonic mana.

As I was consoling myself, Amy who had been quietly grasping the situation, spoke, "Young Master, I have something to say."

I had a bad feeling as soon as she spoke but, "Go on.", I allowed her to speak.

"Um, Young Master… the Satan of Chaos is dead…"

"Huh?"

"As soon as you left the estate, Master launched a raid on the demon realm to get your revenge. But that was just a front! In reality, it was Empress’ plan to get rid of a Satan. And it worked!"

"It worked…?"

’What worked…?’

"Yes, Young Master. I don’t know the details but the Empress and the White Dragon teamed up and somehow killed the Satan of Chaos!"

Amy explained with a bit of pride as the falling of a Satan was indeed a huge deal.

"But, his dead has agitated all the demons… which… seems to have disturbed your plans."

Amy added hesitantly, but I didn’t hear her.

My mind was too shocked, too confused to recover from this low blow.

A Satan was dead she says?

Is she insane!?

My mind was in chaos… because of the Satan of Chaos…

Funny, you think?

Not for me!

She said a Satan is dead!

How can a Satan just die!?

The planning, the preparation, the political play, the funds! All sorts of resources and strategies that need to be employed to lure and kill a Satan. They all were fucking insane!

And she is telling me one of them just died?

Who’s gonna die next? The Demon King? Or Rowen itself? Maybe the fucking Goddess!!

I know I need to keep my cool!

I know that I can’t lose my composure!

But when I think of the implications… when I think of the terribly butterfly effect this event will have… when I think of being blind in this world… and most importantly when I think of whole plot I painstakingly wrote being turned upside down…

I just can’t stop cursing!

’Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck this motherfucking shit!!’

I screamed as loud as I could in my mind.

I don’t know when, but I started pacing around the room. Biting my nail, I contemplated in silence as all sorts scenarios and situations played out in my head.

And, after a while of contemplating, I came to a conclusion – It was me.

The trigger of this incident was me, and Mora.

Had I avoided indulging Mora that day, the vessel in the estate wouldn’t be exposed, I wouldn’t have fought anyone, the would be no need for revenge, no raid, no plan, and no dead Satan.

Funny, how a little thing could have such drastic consequences.

-Haaa

In the end, I sighed, cursed the Satan100 times and moved on.

No point getting mental over a dead guy…

After, cursing the bastard another 100 times, I stopped, and sat on the couch.

"How many people know about this?", I asked.

"No one, other than people participating the raid should know about this Young Master. But there are already rumors about a Satan being dead among the demon merchants. So, after 2 months at latest the news should become common knowledge over the continent."

"Though, the other faction heads should be confirming this news by now."

"I see…"

I murmured, as things started making more sense.

A Satan was dead! Though he was the weakest of them all, he was still a Satan!

The demons would be agitated?

They might as well be in chaos! With these terror attacks being their retaliation or maybe a prelude to it.

But knowing them, they would also be opportunistic.

With a seat of Satan empty, there would always be those who want to seize it.

And I might have just given a demon ticket to that seat.

But it was still a great news, though it made a lot of my future knowledge useless, if it came at the cost of a Satan’s life then it was worth it.

’Though, I will need to act much faster now.’